The Drummers Guide to Winter Jazzfest

Nick Gordon

January 04 2017

Winter Jazzfest has become the premier nexus for the most cutting edge jazz/groove/avant-guard music happening in New York. More than any other year, 2017's lineup is packed with incredible drummers. The Beat's Guide to the Drummers of Winter Jazzfest features some of the highlights as well as a sortable list below to help you navigate the weekend. Stop in at our Drummers Lounge happening on Friday night for special performances by DAN WEISS and LAFRAE SCI.

Chris "Daddy" Dave: Worshipped among drummers including Questlove for his pocket & feel, Daddy’s credits include Adele, Mint Condition, & D’Angelo. His group Chris Dave & the Dumhedz headlines the Bowery Ballroom's Revive Music Stage on 1/6 at midnight.

Nate Smith: A nasty, funky drummer who’s respected as much by jazzers as by fans of funk and hip-hop, NS has played with Betty Carter, Dave Holland, and Chris Potter. As a bandleader, his Kinfolk group plays at 8pm Friday 1/6 at The New School. He plays with Somi on 1/6 at 10 at Subculture.

Dan Weiss: Hailed as one of the top jazz drummers in the world, Weiss's uniquely expressive style is musical, experimental, and capable of blinding speed. He plays in the Drummers Lounge at Le Poisson Rouge Friday 1/6, 7:40pm and with Florian Weber's Criss Cross at 11:40p on 1/6 at the New School 12th Street Auditorium.

Terri Lynn Carrington: An absolute must see, Carrington is a three-time grammy award winning drummer has seemingly done it all, while still being in her prime. She's played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana, and the list goes on and on. Sat 1/7, 9:20 at SOBs

Omar Hakim: An absolute living legend, Hakim has played with Miles, Weather Report, David Bowie, & George Benson. Catch him Friday 1/6 at 6:20 at Zinc Bar

Will Calhoun: Best known for his work with Living Colour, Calhoun is a highly versatile player who's as much influenced by jazz and African music as he is by anthemic rock. He's played with The Rolling Stones, Pharoah Sanders, Herb Alpert, and Dr. John to name a few. Catch him with Zig Zag Trio on Saturday 1/6 at 12:20pm at SOBs.

Drummer

Band

About

Show Date

Show Time

Show Location

Nate Smith

Nate Smith & Kinfolk

A nasty, funky drummer who’s respected as much by jazzers as by fans of funk and hip-hop, NS has played with Betty Carter, Dave Holland, and Chris Potter. (Watch Video)

1/6/17

8:00

New School Glass Box Theater 55 West 13th Street NYC

Mark Guiliana

Dave Douglas High Risk with Shigeto

With jazz chops as formidable as his inventive reinterpretation of electronic music within an acoustic drumset, he’s played with David Bowie, Brad Mehldau, Matsiyahu, and fronts his Beat Music band & label. (Watch Video)

An avant-guarde jazz drumming legend, Cyrille was a longtime member of Cecil Taylor's band and has played with Coleman Hawkins, Geri Allen, Walt Dickerson, and countless others. He's been a prolific bandleader as well, now leading the Haitian Fascination Quintet. (Watch Video)

An absolute must see, Carrington is a three-time grammy award winning drummer has seemingly done it all, while still being in her prime. She's played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana, and the list goes on and on. (Watch Video)

1/7/17

9:20

SOBs 204 Varick Street NYC

Dan Weiss

Florian Weber's CrissCross

Hailed as one of the top jazz drummers in the world, Weiss's uniquely expressive style is musical, experimental, and capable of blinding speed. (Watch Video)

1/6/17

11:40

New School 12th Street Auditorium 66 West 12th Street NYC

Will Calhoun

Zig Zag Trio

Best known for his work with Living Colour, Calhoun is a highly versatile player who's as much influenced by jazz and African music as he is by anthemic rock. He's played with The Rolling Stones, Pharoah Sanders, Herb Alpert, and Dr. John to name a few. (Watch Video)

A band leader, educator, and visceral drummer within the genres of blues, jazz, funk, & latin music, LaFrae's new Sonic Black group is not to be missed. (Watch Video)

1/7/17

8:20

Bowery Electric 327 Bowery NYC

Billy Martin

Steven Bernstein's Universal Melody Brass Band

Best known as the Martin in Medeski, Martin, & Wood, Billy's ever-tasty playing and thirst for exploration has made him a drummer's drummer across every genre he touches. (Watch Video)

1/6/17

11:00

SOBs 204 Varick Street NYC

Jonathan Blake

Pharoah Sanders

A giant behind the kit, this Philly native (b. 1976) is known for his transcendent & articulate stick work. Boasting over 50 album credits to his name including Mingus Big Band, Kenny Barron, and Avishai Cohen. (Watch Video)

1/5/17

8:00

Subculture 45 Bleecker St NYC

Mike Reed

Mike Reed's Flesh & Bone

An adventurous player and a towering figure in the Chicago music community, Reed leads the People, Places, & Things post-bop quartet and has played with Ira Sullivan and Matthew Shipp. (Watch Video)

1/6/17

10:40

New School Glass Box Theater 55 West 13th Street NYC

Daniel Freedman

Daniel Freedman

"In recent years, drummer Daniel Freedman has quietly, almost surreptitiously, become a primal force, creating a kind of people’s music built on rustling folk rhythms, ethnic melodies and joyous performances." - Downbeat (Watch Video)

1/7/17

8:40

The Bitter End 147 Bleecker Street NYC

Jaimeo Brown

Jaimeo Brown Transcendence

With a style rooted in the black church, tribal R&B, and funk, Jaimeo's playing is heady, emotive, and infectious. (Watch Video)

1/7/17

6:40

SOBs 204 Varick Street NYC

Jim Black

Jim Black’s Malamute

An ambitious, experimental, and powerful drummer, Black's Malamute project is heady and psychedelic, and anything but conventional. (Watch Video)

1/6/16

11:20

New School 5th Floor Theater 55 West 13th Street NYC

Satoshi Takeishi

John Hébert’s Rambling Confessions

Embracing a hybrid of acoustic and electronics, Takeishi's wide-reaching use of different drums is only matched by his ability to get the weirdest and coolest sounds out of them. (Watch Video)

1/6/17

All night between sets

Bowery Ballroom (Revive Music stage) 6 Delancey Street NYC

Justin Brown

Justin Brown Nyeusi

One of NYC's first call drummers, Brown has played with Esperanza Spalding, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, and more. (Watch Video)

A pure jazz drummer in the tradition of Blakey & Elvin, Scott is also a composer and band leader for the KSO. As a sideman, he's played with Wynton Marsalis, Mike Moreno, & Terence Blanchard. (Watch Video)